Handful Players
Handful Players, 762 Fulton Street #305, #305, San Francisco, CA 94102
About
Handful Players offers musical theater and performing arts activities where kids take part in acting, singing, dance, puppetry, clowning, spoken word, set painting, jazz, and live performance. The program includes theater classes, musical theater, and theater and dance productions, and involves kids in every aspect of a theater production on stage, center stage, and backstage. Children collaborate with professional artists and acclaimed theater playwrights to create original, culturally relevant plays that are performed live for their families and the community.
• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Price: Handful Players provides free, inclusive year-round musical theater and performing arts programs for children at schools and community centers in San Francisco. We provide free, after-school musical theater and performing arts classes.
Since 2007, Handful Players has offered theatrical workshops and after-school programs, including in San Francisco’s Western Addition neighborhood, and has now become part of the African American Shakespeare Company while retaining its name and dedicated staff. The program has offered more than 3,900 hours of musical theater workshops, helped over 3,650 students participate, and its workshops have culminated in over 335 student performances with live musical accompaniment and free receptions for the community. Handful Players has commissioned nationally recognized playwrights to write 95 original plays with the kids, exploring culturally relevant themes such as bullying, acting with empathy, and the history of the Fillmore jazz district.
A dedicated team of experienced artists and teachers, including innovative teaching artists, playwrights, and jazz musicians, guide kids ages 8–18 in theater arts classes and reflect the neighborhood’s demographics. Handful Players states that its experienced teaching artists offer a safe, nurturing environment and that its team serves as inspirational role models and mentors, and the program notes that it provides expanded career opportunities and professional development for current teaching artists.
Handful Players describes its programs as free, fun, and friendly, and its creative enrichment activities span acting, singing, dance, puppetry, clowning, spoken word, jazz, and live theater and dance productions. The organization states that it is committed to supporting Black and Brown children and families, addressing the legacy of racial inequities and brutality, and using personal narratives as tools to express emotions and trauma, effect change, amplify voices and stories, and seek social justice. Its primary stated goal is to assist every child with personal development, including building self-esteem, learning new skills, and finding a creative voice.
Handful Players highlights that it leverages the talent and commitment of the San Francisco community by working with schools, grassroots organizations, artists, musicians, volunteers, and contributors to create theater experiences for children. The program also hosts children and their families at professional theater events such as the African American Shakespeare Company’s “Cinderella,” ACT’s “A Christmas Carol,” and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s student tour. Handful Players has received recognition including the CBS-KPIX 5 Jefferson Award for Community Service, the Theatre Bay Area Legacy Award, a California Arts Council Grant for Artists-In-Schools Extension Programs, the Mo’MAGIC Community Connector Award, a San Francisco Board of Supervisors Certificate of Recognition, and a California State Senate Certificate of Recognition.
Last updated March 20, 2026.
• Ages: 8–18 years old
• Price: Handful Players provides free, inclusive year-round musical theater and performing arts programs for children at schools and community centers in San Francisco. We provide free, after-school musical theater and performing arts classes.
Since 2007, Handful Players has offered theatrical workshops and after-school programs, including in San Francisco’s Western Addition neighborhood, and has now become part of the African American Shakespeare Company while retaining its name and dedicated staff. The program has offered more than 3,900 hours of musical theater workshops, helped over 3,650 students participate, and its workshops have culminated in over 335 student performances with live musical accompaniment and free receptions for the community. Handful Players has commissioned nationally recognized playwrights to write 95 original plays with the kids, exploring culturally relevant themes such as bullying, acting with empathy, and the history of the Fillmore jazz district.
A dedicated team of experienced artists and teachers, including innovative teaching artists, playwrights, and jazz musicians, guide kids ages 8–18 in theater arts classes and reflect the neighborhood’s demographics. Handful Players states that its experienced teaching artists offer a safe, nurturing environment and that its team serves as inspirational role models and mentors, and the program notes that it provides expanded career opportunities and professional development for current teaching artists.
Handful Players describes its programs as free, fun, and friendly, and its creative enrichment activities span acting, singing, dance, puppetry, clowning, spoken word, jazz, and live theater and dance productions. The organization states that it is committed to supporting Black and Brown children and families, addressing the legacy of racial inequities and brutality, and using personal narratives as tools to express emotions and trauma, effect change, amplify voices and stories, and seek social justice. Its primary stated goal is to assist every child with personal development, including building self-esteem, learning new skills, and finding a creative voice.
Handful Players highlights that it leverages the talent and commitment of the San Francisco community by working with schools, grassroots organizations, artists, musicians, volunteers, and contributors to create theater experiences for children. The program also hosts children and their families at professional theater events such as the African American Shakespeare Company’s “Cinderella,” ACT’s “A Christmas Carol,” and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s student tour. Handful Players has received recognition including the CBS-KPIX 5 Jefferson Award for Community Service, the Theatre Bay Area Legacy Award, a California Arts Council Grant for Artists-In-Schools Extension Programs, the Mo’MAGIC Community Connector Award, a San Francisco Board of Supervisors Certificate of Recognition, and a California State Senate Certificate of Recognition.
Last updated March 20, 2026.
Is this your business? There is no cost, but you will be asked to sign up or log in.